Trees Dictate Art Direction for Sustainability-Driven OOH Campaign ‘Nature Shapes Britannia’
Imagine asking a brand to actively invest in the worst possible outdoor media plan? To knowingly select billboards that are obstructed from view. That’s exactly what Talented Agency decided to do in a genius out-of-home (OOH) campaign to spotlight Britannia’s continued commitment to sustainable practices.
Handing art direction over to nature, the campaign ‘Nature Shapes Britannia’ sees trees dictate the design of the billboards behind them, making the brand name sometimes curve down, sometimes up, sometimes become cramped and sometimes bounce. Each billboard also includes a message about Britannia’s progress in sustainability across various facets. This simple creative decision visually represents how one of India’s oldest and largest FMCG brands adapts to nature – rather than asking nature to move out of the way for it.
Here, Talented founding partner and creative, Binaifer Dulani, and creative and founding member, Aabhaas Shreshtha, speak with LBB’s Sunna Coleman to take us behind the scenes on the unique project.
LBB> Tell us about the initial brief from the client and your first ideas.
Binaifer and Aabhaas> Britannia, a century-old FMCG brand, was our first ever client at Talented, partnering with us during our agency's inaugural week – a powerful testament to their forward-thinking mindset and embrace of fresh creativity. As the brand continues advancing its sustainability initiatives, our shared vision for Britannia's environmental journey has been clear from day one, recognising this story's compelling potential.
The initial brief focused on communicating Britannia's ESG practices and sustainability report for a timely event. While we were ready to launch, inspiration struck: why not shape our billboards around the trees they were blocking – creating a powerful metaphor for how Britannia is shaped by nature. From that moment on, the idea took its own journey. We moved away from the initial topical-only briefing and decided to give the idea the time and space it needed to become the ‘unprecedented design thinking’ it has been widely reported to be.
LBB> How did the concept develop from there?
Binaifer and Aabhaas> The concept emerged from a critical examination of our industry's practices, particularly the paradox within outdoor advertising where nature often becomes collateral damage – trees are routinely cut or trimmed to improve billboard visibility. While no brand explicitly sanctions this practice, it has become an uncomfortable industry standard. This realisation – that outdoor advertising frequently positions nature as an obstacle to overcome – became our creative springboard.
Committed to authentic sustainability, we embraced the principle of 'use only what you need’. This philosophy distilled our message to three essential words: 'Nature Shapes Britannia.' We crafted our billboards from 100% biodegradable cotton, carefully accounting for each tree's growth patterns, resulting in some installations appearing as mere fragments of traditional billboards. This deliberate minimalism transformed into an exciting creative opportunity, challenging us to communicate more with less.
LBB> You mentioned that you needed to source all the billboards with boots on the ground. How long did this process take and how challenging was it?
Binaifer and Aabhaas> We initiated this campaign in August, targeting a Gandhi Jayanti release on October 2nd. However, we chose to extend our timeline to ensure perfect execution. The concept's unique nature required strict site selection based on four critical parameters:
- Tree-to-billboard proximity – while frontal views worked, side angles often compromised impact
- Extent of tree coverage on the billboard
- Coverage angle – whether trees obscured top left or bottom right sections
- Diversity of tree species
Despite careful planning, nearly 50% of shortlisted sites were lost to tree pruning before launch. The process was as dynamic as an Instagram trend – trees here today, gone tomorrow! Our goal was to make this a nationwide campaign, not limited to just one or two cities. With limited on-ground data, we relied heavily on Google Street View to evaluate sites from all angles and create mocks based on virtual data. We ended up auditioning 73 trees with all these parameters to find the best possible sites for the idea. In many ways the task at hand was to find the worst possible media sites and the fact that we couldn't find any in cities like Delhi and Mumbai speaks a lot about the urban infrastructure in itself.
LBB> Who did you collaborate with to create the uniquely shaped billboards around nature?
Binaifer and Aabhaas> Bringing this idea to life required collaboration across a forest of creatives across multiple Indian agencies: Coral Media and Madison Outdoor Media Services for outdoor along with other partners like Dentsu, Rooted Films Youngun and Schbang. Despite the seemingly complex arrangement, everything ran smoothly thanks to Ria Sharma from Talented, who acted as a chief liaison officer, seamlessly coordinating internal teams, Britannia, and all partners.
LBB> What were some of the creative/strategic challenges on this project and what solutions did you come up with?
Binaifer and Aabhaas> Pre-planning posed significant challenges, such as assessing tree proximity to billboards and accounting for coverage. Nearly 50% of shortlisted spots were lost due to tree pruning and structural stability became a concern during the test run. Our partners addressed these issues by designing a sturdy base mesh for the billboards and using thin, invisible wires to reinforce elevated spots. Their expertise ensured we overcame these obstacles effectively.
LBB> What are you most proud of on this project and what are your thoughts on the final campaign?
Binaifer and Aabhaas> We’ve created something truly unique – art crafted by humans, for humans, in harmony with nature. From an advertiser’s perspective, it’s remarkable how seamlessly art, copy and nature have come together. The journey was filled with setbacks and problem-solving, but seeing the first billboard come to life affirmed that every effort was worthwhile.
LBB> Britannia has been committed to sustainability efforts for a few years. Tell us about some of the past work the brand has done and what positive results and impact this has had?
Binaifer and Aabhaas> Britannia has been actively implementing various sustainability initiatives, from the responsible sourcing of ingredients and packaging to enriching products with essential vitamins and minerals, all while optimising natural resource efficiency to minimise environmental impact. Among its many efforts, the company processed over 43,000 metric tonnes of plastic in FY 22-23 alone, maintaining its 100% plastic-neutral status for over two years.
To mark this significant milestone, we had collaborated with Britannia on the ‘Har Pocket Ab Dustbin’ (Every Pocket, Now a Dustbin) campaign. The initiative highlights the power of a simple yet meaningful habit – holding onto waste until it can be disposed of responsibly. The campaign features an eight-year-old protagonist whose innocence and sincerity serve as a compelling reminder to take ownership of our waste and cultivate a deeper sense of environmental responsibility.
LBB> What’s next for Britannia? What is the bigger vision that the brand is working towards?
Binaifer and Aabhaas> Britannia is committed to building on the progress made in sustainability so far, with a strong focus on the future. The brand aims to maintain its plastic-neutral status while setting ambitious goals, including increasing the share of renewable electricity to approximately 57% of total consumption by FY 2025-26. Additionally, Britannia is targeting a 30% reduction in specific water consumption and aims to collect and recycle 80% of its plastic waste by 2025.
More information about Britannia’s sustainability goals can be found by clicking here.
